


Lucky Ducks

by followyourenergy



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Doting Uncle Dean, First Meetings, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, Meet-Cute, Toy Store, Uncle Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-08-05 00:13:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16356929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/followyourenergy/pseuds/followyourenergy
Summary: Spoiling his only nephew is one of Dean’s favorite things to do. Today is Noah’s birthday, so they’re looking for the perfect toy to bring back to Dean’s for Noah’s first-ever sleepover. When he sees the stuffed animals in a display window, he’s drawn to them... and Dean is drawn to Cas, the clerk who helps Noah get over his belief that he’s too old for a stuffed toy.





	Lucky Ducks

**Author's Note:**

> Just a sweet little piece of fluff that popped into my head after an interaction I witnessed. :) Enjoy! <3

Spoiling his only nephew is one of Dean’s favorite things to do. Today they’re celebrating Noah’s birthday the way they always do — by playing hooky from school and work and spending the day together. Noah wanted to go to the huge amusement center at the mall, so they spent most of the day bowling and playing arcade games before stopping for frozen yogurt in the food court. Now they’re wandering around the mall, looking for the perfect toy to bring back to Dean’s for Noah’s first-ever sleepover. Dean figured it’d be easy — he’s usually pretty pumped to get new Legos or action figures — but this time nothing seems to pique his interest… until he sees the stuffed animals.

“You want a bear, buddy?” Dean asks, following Noah’s gaze to the toy store across the way, where you can make your own stuffed animal or doll.

“Stuffies are for babies,” he says, though he’s still gazing longingly at the display.

“No, they’re not,” Dean scoffs. “You’re never too old to have a stuffy. Wanna go look, at least?” Noah shakes his head, but he’s not convincing his favorite (and only, but so what?) uncle. “Well, I do. Let’s go.” He takes his seven-year-old nephew’s hand as they make their way to the window, which is a colorful display of stuffed animals with little umbrellas and raincoats surrounded by paper rainclouds and tulips. Noah stares at a bright yellow duck. 

“Oh, I’m a lucky duck to meet you today!” an animated voice says to Dean’s right. Uncle and nephew turn to see a stuffed duck like the one in the window talking to them, voiced by a man Dean assumes is an employee by the goofy uniform. The man lowers the duck from his face and Dean has to draw a deep breath to recover the one he just had stolen from his lungs. The guy is gorgeous — dark hair, dark stubble, dark lashes framing deep blue eyes. The smile he’s giving Noah, though, is anything but dark. The man —Cas, by his name tag— scooches down to Noah’s height. “Wanna hear a joke?” the duck asks.

“Okay.”

“What do ducks put in their soup?”

“I don’t know.”

“Quackers!” Cas makes the duck laugh with a little snort that sounds like a quack, and though the joke was terrible, all three of them laugh anyway. “I quack myself up!” the duck continues, then quack-laughs again and flies around until it “lands” in the crook of Cas’ arm. Noah giggles. 

“Wanna go inside and look, buddy?” Dean asks.

Noah shrugs, tempted but reluctant, it seems.

“Would you do me a favor, at least?” Cas asks. “Would you bring my ducky friend inside and find him a nice, warm nest? That would really help me out.” He nods and takes the duck from Cas’ hands, then runs inside in search of the perfect spot.

“Nice,” Dean says as the man stands up and they follow the boy inside. “Been trying to get him to go in.”

“Somebody got to him already, huh? Saying that he’s too old for stuffed animals or that boys don’t like them?”

“Looks that way. Damn, I wish they’d just let kids be kids.”

“Well, you’re setting a good example by bringing him.”

“Thanks, man.” Dean glances at the (damn,  _ so _ hot) employee. “Quite the getup you’ve got there,” he smirks.

“Just working my way through med school, Paul Bunyan,” Cas retorts as his eyes survey Dean from head to toe and back. He glances at his t-shirt, flannel and jeans and blushes. Cas smiles at him to soften the blow and Dean smiles back, gazing at him a little longer than what’s appropriate with a total stranger.

“Can I keep him?” Noah calls from across the store, then runs to Cas with the duck still in his hands. “And can I have that army guy coat and that ninja shirt?” he adds, pointing at a display of outrageously priced clothes.

“That’s up to your adult,” Cas answers, nudging his head toward Dean.

“Can I, Uncle Dean?” Noah turns on the same puppy dog eyes as his father, and it works the same way it did when Sammy used to ask him for his dessert. 

“Yeah, alright,” Dean agrees. 

“Yes!” he shouts with a fist pump before his face falls. “But wait, I can’t. I’m too old for stuffies. They’re for babies.” His arms flop to his sides, the yellow duck landing by his feet.

“Babies?” Cas says, making an exaggerated, incredulous face as he folds his arms. “Babies don’t know what army guys are. Babies don’t know how to play ninjas. Babies can’t even reach the lever to stuff the animals.”

“Yeah, buddy. Besides, everyone likes stuffies, even grown-ups,” Dean adds.

“Stuffies make people happy. Are you too old to be happy?” Cas asks.

“Nooooo,” Noah says with a giggle.

“Are you too old to lead a duck army?”

“Nooooo!”

“Are you too old to play ninja with your duck and your uncle’s stuffy?”

“No!”

“Wait, what?” Dean asks, breaking up the conversation.

“Well, his duck can’t be a ninja guy all by himself,” Cas says, batting his lashes. 

Dean’s lips purse; he’s trying to be angry that the guy’s essentially used the kid against him to get an additional sale, but he can’t be, especially when both the guy and his nephew look at him with huge eyes and pouts to match. “Yeah, alright, I’ll get one, too,” he surrenders. “You pick it for me, okay?”

“Yay, Uncle Dean! We can play ninjas at our sleepover tonight!” he screeches before running off happily again.

“That was dirty,” Dean mutters out of the corner of his mouth.

Cas shrugs. “I’m dirty, what can I say?” He wanders toward Noah, leaving Dean to swallow the rush of arousal from the man’s deep voice and suggestive tone as he stares after him. 

“Come on, Uncle Dean! Cas found your duck a Batman outfit!”

That breaks Dean from his stupor. “He did?” he asks as he crosses the floor to them.

“Yeah! Just like on your shirt, he said!” Noah thrusts a tiny costume at him.

Dean looks down and yeah, he is wearing his Batman t-shirt. The logo is just barely peeking out above the buttons of his flannel. Most people probably wouldn’t even notice it unless they were looking at his chest. His brow quirks at the implication as he follows Noah and Cas, who looks just as good from the back, even with the stupid uniform on. Cas explains the stuffing process and lets them stuff their animals with fluff, finishing them each off with hearts that they kiss before placing them in their new friends. Once they’re sewn up, they give their friends hugs, then Cas helps them pack everything up and issues them certificates with their animals’ names: Lucky for Noah’s duck and Sir Cedric Duckington the Third for Dean’s (Ced for short).

“Can I pay for mine by myself?” Noah pleads, bouncing in place.

“Yes, go ahead,” Dean says. He gives him his card, then steps back so that he’s behind his nephew in line. 

“Yes, how may I help you, sir?” Cas asks him. His playfulness and kindness to his nephew makes Dean’s heart flutter. 

After Noah finishes his transaction, Dean approaches the counter. Cas is still looking at Noah and grinning as he skips around his uncle, happy with his new friend.

“Sorry, I’m not as cute as the little guy,” Dean says when Cas turns his way. 

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Cas replies with a lilt. He smiles mischievously as Dean flushes bright red. 

Dean runs his card and accepts his receipt, grinning goofily every time his eyes meet Cas’. He notices that Cas gave him his employee discount. “An apology for the extra toy you had to buy,” Cas explains. “I was just going to give you a small one from the back room before you told him to pick one out.”

“Don’t have to be sorry,” he chuckles. “It’s my own fault I’m a sucker for a cute pout.”

Now Cas chuckles. “Probably shouldn’t tell your nephew that, or he’ll get you every time.” 

Feeling bold and fairly certain he’s reading the signals correctly, Dean says, “Who said I was talking about him?”

Cas raises his brows and smirks softly at Dean before diverting his attention. “Would you like a sticker, Noah?” he asks. 

“Yeah!”

“Alright, how about you pick a sticker yourself?” he suggests, handing him a roll of round, bright decals with animal faces printed on them. “I put a sticker in your box, too,” Cas murmurs to Dean before pressing Noah’s chosen sticker on his shirt. Dean peeks inside the box his duck is sitting in and sees a sticky note with Cas’ name, number, and  _ Date? _ written on it. He meets the salesclerk’s eyes and nods. They smile stupidly at each other until Noah impatiently tugs Dean to the door, excited to play with their new toys. 

That night, after duck ninja games, Noah falls asleep with Lucky snuggled in his arms. 

Many date nights after that, Dean falls asleep with Cas snuggled in his arms. 

And many, many nights after that, Cas falls asleep with Dean and their daughter snuggled in his arms, their little girl holding her very first stuffy — a duck, of course, from her cousin Noah. 


End file.
